Diary of Denis Patrick (alias Rupert Bert Patrick), 1941-1945 - Part 14

MONDAY, OCTOBER 6 1941
today was our first work day for
a week or two getting back into the
traces broke the old sore (mentality) into
a little life - but I found [[?]] rather
dim like the proverbial tock H. lamp
All the instructors are disquietingly
English and lay on the super
Oxford stuff - which grates a little at
first but I suppose we well get over
that
Our course seems to be dreadfully
comprehensive, necessity has reduced the
duration of the course from twelve to
nine weeks, instead of shortening the
studies they have increased them which
ultimately means that we will have
to work back three hours or so every
night until our eyes drop out.
The most interesting studies should

be astro navigation which is entirely
new. and a rare gift of knowledge

It appears that all people who

leave here will eventually go onto

coastal command which is the

pick of the flying services because
of its color & variety of duties
Many it appears have failed on the

course, but with a bit of luck I
should be able to make the grade

without to many let downs
 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7 1941

I forgot to mention about the dance I went
to which I went last night "chicko" & I thought
we would crash in and wisk off with a few
maidens, well we crashed in but
the women were as cold as the proverbial
frigid miget we had a lot of fun
thought putting over a good line - I
told one frightened lass I was [[?]] vilde
Roosten yes & I come to steal her
pearls no?. She being dumb as an
ox became very frightened & started
looking for the door to bolt.
I took another lass to coffee
but it wasn't very exciting as she
was absolutely without conversation
of any kind.
We were invited to a

party-dance business tonight so weather
permitting we shall be there

Funds are getting low now & I
am down to my last few three

bucks - what with banks tailors
& everybody to pay. Things dont look

to bright - work will probably nail
us soon though I expect & I will
be forced to stay in at nights
& burn the midnight oil. woe
is me. 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 1941
went to be local dance last night
in fact a whole host of pilots mostly
Australians were there in full force
pinching the local civilians girls.
I met quite a decent sort of a girl
& we had a bit of fun. She was
a little more intelligent than the
majority, nevertheless hopelessly
dumb. Insisted I should take her
home but wouldn't let we take
a taxi said she liked walking
in the rain, consequently to her
delight & my disgust we both got
sopping wet. Got home at some
latish hour weary a wet vowing
never to go near a woman again.
Michell the batman here really
is a great kid, he looks after us
like a mother, hangs pictures on the
walls, presses our clothes, goes to
town to do our business, we try
to do the right thing by him
Today we get stuck solidly into
the yacka which is in front of us
such abstract quantities as paramater R.
other foolish things. Induced me to do
a little slumbering through the lecture
actually I wasn’t in any state of
mind to work today after two
nights activity
 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 1941
Spent the day weakening my intellect
over more lost planomenas, this course
is disgustingly deep and quite a shock
to my intelligence which I thought
was up to standard after the
battle of Macleod but apparently
no. - The weather on this alleged
garden Province is still cold,
horribly cold & wet. The sun
rarely shines, if it does only
to taunt one then disappear
for another twenty four hours.
Mich the batman is improving
daily, he brings in tea of a
morning now and is exceptionally
useful about the place in the
way of pressing clothes etc.
I spent four valuable hours
Copying up a ancient set of notes
Tonight just to spite my self.
haven’t had any direct mail
here yet or any answer to my
cable however I shall be patient
and not expect the very base
Base post office to realize I have
changed address for several
months yet
 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 1941
Awake or was awakened very early by
mich with the usual Bushels blue
we had to do a parade before
normal lecture hours – The whole
business was for the benefit of
wouf wouf the C.O. – After all he
has to have some reminder that
he is C.O.
After this the normal lectures
& rain etc – we are due to
start navigational flight exercises
over the sea on Sunday – I had
planned to do a little golfing
& what notting but its a case of
“sacrifice” for country’s sake so
we have to do a seven day week
I dont think I am going to be
passionately fond of this course
it seems much too tame but
nine weeks will quickly pass
I suppose so courage friend
onward to the bitter end
 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 1941
cold and raining as usual – temperature
at snowing point – Snow fell during
the evening - worked at the usual
subjects in the morning - In the
evening went to town - met Professor
+
kendall and arranged to take some
music lessons with him – I don’t
think he knows much about it
but it will be good practice
Later went to the dance - met a
young school teacher, I took her
home and unwittingly walked
down a street out of bounds
because of some superannuated ladies
of joy alleged to live in it – consequently
the service police pinched me for
my innocence curse the service
police
 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 1941
Had to work today, strangely
enough the sun came out and everything
was lovely- we flew all over the
island for two hours, I got violently
sick and came home not looking at
all happy
 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13 1941
Did an exercise at sea today - the object
was to find wind speed and direction
over the drink - Wind lanes were very
apparent and the exercise quite simple
I cant seem to aclimatise myself to
studying on the island yet - maybe
later but not just yet.
dispite of my good intentions to study
tonight we went to town however to
the dance - I met an old girl friend of mine
Hellen phone 151. and had quite a good
time - when Hellen kisses its just like
a bite from a poddy calf (dear Hellen.)

It was pretty latish when I got
home, well into the third hour in fact
but here I am scratching away at my
little diary hoping the sun wont rise
before I finish off this days evil which
is already history
Charlotte town certainly is a droopy
little hole filled with lots of droopy
little people who have never ever
ventured out of their own [[?]] little
island to see what the world really
looks like
 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14 1941
Once again bleak winds do sorely
blow – infact the bleak winds
always blow here, one walks always
with a lean in one direction or
another - the cold is piercing &
inescapable -
The day was mostly without event,
the subjects a pretty day here
sometimes I wish I had gone straight
onto fighters of bombers - this
course is said to be a rare
opportunity, it seems to be a bit
to rare for me - to much calculation
& brain work for my greying locks
We started reconnaissance procedure
coding, decoding etc today - yesterday
the sextant & astro navigation & so
it goes on from one obstacle to
another -
The plumber have at last got
the heating system going – I was confronted
by a cloud of steam when I opened
my door to night and I could have
fried an egg on the dressing table
Canadians have a rare idea
of hygiene – one frequently passes from
inside temperatures of melting point
to outside temperatures of freezing
point – Uncle Les wrote an interesting
letter today enclosing copies from various
nephews and some bact luggage stickers
 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15 1941
Did third exercise (P3) of my navigation
proved to be nothing brilliant mainly
because I subtracted instead of
adding 25 variation - it probably
will be a good lesson, I shall not
be so careless next time – as
arranged I went to town this evening
and had a try out with my
new & third singing teacher - I dont
think he knows very much about
singing but I suppose he has to
make a living like all the rest
of the rogues about here - he
isn’t a bad poor beggar though
I didnt ask him how much he
is going to charge me so will be at his mercy
 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 1941
Didn't feel too brilliant today after
a tough night and hard days work
navigational exercise P4 was just
a bludge I was second navigator
and consequently didn’t have anything
to do except keep out of the road
Sgt Vincent did all the work I
sent a few plane to plane message
and picked up “Chicky” he replied
with a message which I could
hardly print here (just in case
Was persuaded to go to town tonight
and play bowls or skittles
what a game! - the place was
inhabited by some very low
citizens – but they didn’t bother us
 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 1941
Today was dreadfully technical
all verging on unknown quantities
coefficients, instrument calibration
and other dopey topics like Astro.
everything very brilliant much beyond
my mental standard - however if
I persevere I shall probably understand
the problem is when a I going to
start persivering? I ask myself
daily - the answer is a blank.
Added another beautiful damsel
to my already colorful gallery
she is Phyllis- lovely to look at
delightful to hold.
 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 1941
As the war is no respecter of religion
etc had to work this morning - The
weather was unusually pleasant
and the land was bathed in
sunshine
In the evening as arranged
I had a singing lesson with Pro
Kendall – he seems a decent old
scout - took me into the church
to practice at the organ which
is a beautiful instrument - the
church is typically old English
with very old stained glass
windows - later went to the
pictures & saw some impossible
shew which isn’t worthy of mention
 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 1941
Joy in my cradle of dreams and
thought of home & life & love - the
big three - necessity persuaded me
to rise & take a little roast pork
for dinner - the weather is normal
again with a howling arctic blizzard
frozen sleet & a little snow fell
most of the afternoon - I cant for
the life of me imagine why people
live of their own free will in
a God forsaken ice bound rock
strewn dump like this for. -
Went to town in the afteroon
froze and came home - saying
all sorts of unpleasant things
about Canada.
 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20 1941
Back to work again with a smile
(we hope) Had seven solid hours
lectures on the most uninteresting
topics - this course is “no hell”
Often I will wish I had gone
onto fighters and skipped all this
G.R. hooey, why must I work so
hard when wars are designed
especially for people to bludge
and forget such annoying trivialities
as work
Mich hung up some more
very wicked looking women around
the walls today - his taste is
slipping or mine is
 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 1941
Today was a little more eventful

I was first navigator on exercise
DR.2 the trip was fairly short - about

220 miles - in which we went
to a place called Havre Aubert.
at Amenhorst Isl. - The Islands
is a lovely little mound way out
in the sea - some Frenchmen live
there separated from civilization
by ninty miles of ocean - the
trip was quite interesting - on the
way back I made a bad land
fall owing to some peculiar

compass error which no-body
seems to be able to account for
aparantly it is caused by some
vertical land iron deposit which
deflects the compass anything up
to ten degrees on courses west
of 180 & up to 250 where it
is maximum - some a/c are
effected more than others - The
error can hardly be corrected for
as it is irregular - To morrow
we go back to Havre Aubert

& thence to a sea position

miles out to sea.
Signing. off. 22.00 hrs
 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22 1941
 Went again to Amahearst Island
Red Vincent did a good job of
navigating and we returned from
a sea position of about 100
miles north dead on ETA and
the land fall was perfect
Many fishing vessels hung about
the island today - the wind was
in places almost nil – the sun
shone down and everything was
very pleasant peaceful
This afternoon our mentality
was again severely shocked by
a series of terrific Astro [[?]]
my grey matter just refused to
function on some subjects.
The very honorable messers
Cudmore & Henderson had our
new Caps - I look like a retired
taxi man in my outfit - all ears
like snake -
Met my old flight Commander
F/O Maclean – he was over from
macleod on leave - we were
glad to see the old skipper again
who true to form came out with
a few at his pet little jokes which
are scarcely worthy of a groan
He drove us back to camp
Did some [[?]] tonight – to atone
for my days effort -
 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 1941
Set course into a howling wind of
about 50 miles per hour - everything was
under control however when we put
out to sea but Gremlins got in the
compass again and upset my
calculations again – after we had
been out sone time a wireless
message from base bade us
return – the weather was really
stinking when we got back - a
cold front had come in from
Newfoundland - visibility was
limited and even the birds were
walking ~
This course is getting me
in the giz I wish I hadn’t come here
now – I should have gone on a while
my name was good – Did a bit
more swat tonight as my knowledge
is genuinely limited on this Astro
& instrument muck.
Had an interesting lecture on
the Cathoed Ray. Air/craft detector
it is an an amazing scheme centred
about the old atom who is
proving himself quite a boy in
modern warfare -
have to do an intermediate
Dead Reckoning exam tomorrow woe
is me
 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 1941
Snow falling and water frozen
I’m ‘B’ cold much too cold
to write ode’s in this mood
[[?]] take me home to the
land of sunshine and everlasting
spring.
Had our mid term DR nav
exam it was pretty easy
and I dont think I will have
any trouble passing.
 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 1941
Blizzard continues my feet are
like the hairs on a polar bears
bottom
We only did classes in the
morning - Later I had another
singing lesson from old fizzlewig
Wrote a letter to my long lost
peace time sweetheart Phylis
I don’t suppose she will answer
it but still I dont blame
her - I suppose I gave her a
pretty raw deal - well we
are quits now. God bless
her & her Palestinian boy fiend